How you do anything is how you do everything
Finding opportunities with the little things in life, meditations, a new Netflix obsession, Obama's starting truth, and cookies
Hi friend,
I recently stumbled upon a phrase that really stood out to me:
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
From the big things (our work, our hobbies, our philanthropies) to the little things (how we organize our papers, how we brush our teeth), how we do anything reflects the way we go about everything in this world. Things are more interconnected than we think.
Take for instance the way you manage your dishes. When do you do it? What do you clean first? How do you do get the job done?
Now think about your latest project at work, school, or personal life. Are there any similarities with your approach to dishes?
We are so focused on trying to “level-up” what is in front of us (typically our job), that we overlook prime opportunities in our regular day-to-day. For example, instead of trying to read the mountains of books on negotiation strategies at work, why not start with the negotiations happening within our homes, especially with our loved ones?
See if any of these resonate with you:
Are you always late to meetings? Are you missing deadlines and deliverables in your personal life?
Are you struggling with conflict resolutions at work? How are you managing conflicts within your personal life?
Are you finding it difficult to find balance or prioritize the right work to do first? Where else is balance and prioritization missing in your personal life?
The smallest shifts we take with the simplest or even the most mundane things in our lives will accumulate into major shifts that propel us forward to where we want to go.
On a separate note…
I’ve been ruminating throughout this year about the content that I put out, and a big goal of mine has been to integrate my creative work into my mindfulness content. I find it so mind-boggling that for being such a transparent/authentic person, I have created this chasm between my online mindfulness persona and what I spend about 40-80 hours of my week doing.
When I first threw myself into the deep-end of mindfulness, I had imagined that I would step away from my work and into a newfound career, but this year has been quite the opposite. Instead, I started my own freelance consultancy and also a non-profit that provides free education and mentorship to aspiring and growing LGBTQ+ BIPOC designers. Though I hate to admit it, both mindfulness and design are here to stay in my life, and as a part of my newsletters, looking to integrate some design thinking into the mix.
No, this isn’t going to turn into another creative newsletter with life hacks to become the best designer one can be, but I think we can make mindfulness more interesting with a creative partner-in-crime.
In honor of authenticity, I want to bring my whole self to everything that I present and do. It’s pretty scary, but what is on the other side of fear… we will find out.
What I’m up to
Recorded another meditation with my mindfulness org Mindful Sights, this time focusing on the breath. Tune in, relax, and breathe. (Let me know what you think!)
Something to watch
Obsessive-compulsive Chess disorder - Queen’s Gambit delivers drama, smarts, and a side of fashion. It’s the most perfect Netflix show to binge next. (And it looks like Chess sets are sold out)
Something to read
I’ve really loved post-presidency Obama, especially now that he gives everyone a piece of his mind. Sometimes, they are a bit starting, especially this piece where Obama shares why he fears for our democracy.
You’re in high school and you see all the cliques and bullying and unfairness and superficiality, and you think, Once I’m grown up I won’t have to deal with that anymore. And then you get to the state legislature and you see all the nonsense and stupidity and pettiness. And then you get to Congress and then you get to the G20, and at each level you have this expectation that things are going to be more refined, more sophisticated, more thoughtful, rigorous, selfless, and it turns out it’s all still like high school. Human dynamics are surprisingly constant.
Something too true
As always, thanks for reading!
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share or sign up here: mindfulmoments.substack.com
Anything else? You can always hit "reply" to email me directly. 💌
Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
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